Reducing urban heat risk

Description

High summer temperatures provoke the risk for severe heat stress for urban dwellers already under present climate conditions, because the urban heat island effect amplifies impacts of heat waves. The Urban Heat island effect increases day time temperatures and prevents urban areas from cooling down during night time. Especially among the more vulnerable urban population, that is the aged (over 65, and especially over aged 75) very young, (under 5 year old), and persons affected by cardiovascular or respiratory diseases, the number of hospital days and deaths has been observed to increase under heat wave conditions, for instance during the European heat wave in 2003. In the future, this risk is bound to increase due to rising temperatures and due to increasing urban densities and an ageing population.

 

Using the greater London area and parts of the Borough of Islington as a case study, the report presented by ARUP defines a vulnerability index for risks connected to heat stress consisting of three elements defining the risk (location within the city, characteristics of the single building and characteristics of the persons affected) illustrating the strategy undertaken for mapping the risk at urban level and presents furthermore measures and response options alongside with key messages for decision makers, which address different types of decision makers and different levels of intervention, from the urban scale down to the community/individual scale of response.

 

The report presents the strategy employed for the vulnerability analysis for the London Borough of Islington and provides a systematic presentation of measures and response options. These items make this report a useful resource for policy makers involved in urban and community planning for adaptation planning.

 

Reference information